2003 Saturn L200 exhaust manifold noise

I had a noise coming from under the hood of this car. I took it to my mechanic. He said there was probably a hole in the exhaust system. Found that there was a loose nut/bolt on the exhaust manifold. They could not get to it because of the design. Tried several times. Said they would need to take everything apart fix it and put it back together which would cost mega bucks labor. He said it was safe to drive without repairing. My son-in-law is a race car mechanic. He agreed. Is this good advice.

IMO yes

The last time I got that advice the car lasted 2 weeks. Thank goodness it has worked out this time.

The problem is that the manifold is located where exhaust fumes through a leak could easily get drawn into the passenger cabin and you might experience carbon monoxide poisoning. You’ll just fall asleep while driving. You’ll die peacefully. The guy in the car you hit will not.

No, I cannnot agree that a hole in the exhaust manifold is safe to drive with.